Your team is using AI. They are just using it badly.
Not because they are bad at prompting. Because every person on your team is reinventing the wheel every time they open Claude or ChatGPT. They are writing the same types of prompts from scratch, getting inconsistent results, and wasting the first 5 minutes of every AI session figuring out how to ask.
The fix is dead simple: build a shared prompt library.
A prompt library is not a document with 100 generic templates from the internet. It is a curated set of prompts that your team actually uses, tested against your actual work, written in your voice, and organized so anyone can find what they need in under 30 seconds.
Here is how to build one that your team will actually use, plus 20 starter templates you can customize today.
Why Most Prompt Libraries Fail
They fail because they are too generic, too long, or too hard to find. A prompt library is not useful if:
- It lives in a 40-page Google Doc nobody bookmarked
- The prompts are copied from Twitter and never tested
- It requires reading a paragraph of instructions before each prompt
- It has no organization beyond "here are some prompts"
A prompt library that works has three properties:
- Findable in 10 seconds. Organized by task, not by tool or category.
- Copy-paste ready. Includes placeholders in brackets so anyone can fill in their specifics.
- Tested and maintained. Someone owns it. Bad prompts get removed. Good prompts get added.
How to Build Yours in One Afternoon
Step 1: Audit What Your Team Already Uses (30 min)
Ask every person on your team: "What are the 3 things you use AI for most often?" You will find massive overlap. Most teams use AI for a handful of tasks:
- Writing and editing text
- Summarizing long content
- Drafting emails and messages
- Analyzing data or documents
- Brainstorming and ideation
- Creating meeting notes and action items
Those overlapping tasks are your library's first entries.
Step 2: Write the Core Prompts (60 min)
For each high-frequency task, write one excellent prompt. Follow this structure:
[TASK NAME]
When to use: [one-sentence description]
Prompt:
[The actual prompt with [BRACKETS] for customizable parts]
Tips:
- [One specific tip for getting better results]
Keep it tight. If the prompt needs more than 200 words of instructions, it is too complex — break it into two prompts.
Step 3: Choose a Home (15 min)
Your prompt library needs to live where your team already works:
- Notion: Best for teams already in Notion. Use a database with tags.
- Google Docs: Simple but hard to search. Works for teams under 10.
- Slite or Almanac: Built for team knowledge. Good search.
- A Slack channel: Pinned messages in a #prompts channel. Lowest friction.
- GitHub repo: Best for technical teams. Version-controlled.
The best location is wherever your team will actually look. Pick the tool with the least friction, not the most features.
Step 4: Maintain It (Ongoing, 15 min/week)
Assign one person as the prompt librarian. Their job:
- Add new prompts when the team discovers good ones
- Remove prompts that stopped working (AI models change)
- Update prompts based on team feedback
- Keep the library under 30 prompts. Quality over quantity.
20 Starter Prompts
Here are 20 prompts organized by function. Each one is tested, copy-paste ready, and designed for Claude (but works with any AI).
Writing & Editing (5)
1. First Draft from Notes
Turn these rough notes into a polished [blog post / email / report].
Audience: [who will read this].
Tone: [casual / professional / technical].
Length: [word count].
Notes: [paste your notes]
2. Edit for Clarity
Edit this text to be clearer and more concise. Cut unnecessary words.
Keep my voice — do not make it sound corporate. Flag any sentences
that are confusing but do not rewrite them without my input.
Text: [paste text]
3. Rewrite for Different Audience
Rewrite this [content type] for [new audience]. The original was
written for [original audience]. Keep the core message but adjust
vocabulary, examples, and complexity level.
Original: [paste text]
4. Headlines and Subject Lines
Write 10 headlines for this [article / email / landing page].
Topic: [describe].
Audience: [who].
Rules: Under 10 words each. Mix curiosity, specificity, and urgency.
No clickbait. No questions. At least 3 should include a number.
5. Proofread with Style Guide
Proofread this text against these style rules:
- [Rule 1: e.g., Oxford comma always]
- [Rule 2: e.g., "email" not "e-mail"]
- [Rule 3: e.g., numbers under 10 spelled out]
List every violation with the original and corrected version.
Text: [paste text]
Analysis & Research (5)
6. Document Summary
Summarize this document in 3 levels:
1. One sentence (the core point)
2. One paragraph (key arguments and conclusions)
3. Bullet points (every important detail, organized by theme)
Document: [paste or describe]
7. Competitive Analysis
Analyze [competitor name]'s [website / product / pricing page].
Compare against our offering: [brief description].
Structure: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities for us, Threats.
Be specific — cite actual features or copy, not vague assessments.
URL or content: [paste]
8. Data Interpreter
Analyze this data and tell me:
1. The 3 most important trends
2. Anything surprising or anomalous
3. One recommendation based on what you see
Present findings in plain English, not statistical jargon.
Data: [paste CSV, table, or describe]
9. Meeting Notes Analyzer
From these meeting notes, extract:
1. Decisions made (who decided what)
2. Action items (who does what by when)
3. Open questions (unresolved items)
4. Key quotes (anything worth remembering verbatim)
Notes: [paste]
10. Research Brief
I need to make a decision about [topic]. Give me a balanced brief:
- 3 arguments FOR
- 3 arguments AGAINST
- What most people get wrong about this topic
- Your recommendation with reasoning
Keep it under 500 words. Cite specific examples where possible.
Communication (5)
11. Email Reply
Draft a reply to this email. Context about me: [your role, relationship
to sender]. My goal: [what I want to achieve]. Tone: [match their
formality level / more casual / more formal].
Their email: [paste]
12. Difficult Conversation Prep
I need to have a conversation with [who] about [topic].
The situation: [what happened].
My goal: [desired outcome].
Their likely concerns: [what they might push back on].
Write: opening line, 3 key points to make, and a proposed resolution.
13. Status Update
Write a status update for [audience: team / manager / client].
Project: [name]. Period: [this week / this sprint / this month].
Done: [list what was completed].
In progress: [list ongoing work].
Blocked: [list blockers if any].
Keep it under 150 words. Lead with the most important item.
14. Feedback Writer
Write constructive feedback for [person/team] about [topic].
What went well: [specifics].
What could improve: [specifics].
Tone: [supportive but direct / formal review / casual Slack message].
Include one specific suggestion they can act on immediately.
15. Slack Message Drafter
Write a Slack message to [channel / person] about [topic].
Context: [what happened or what I need].
Keep it under 3 sentences. No "Hey team!" opener. Get to the point.
If it needs a thread, write the main message and one follow-up.
Strategy & Planning (5)
16. Decision Framework
Help me decide between [Option A] and [Option B].
Context: [situation, constraints, goals].
For each option, evaluate: cost, time to implement, risk level,
reversibility, and alignment with [our key goal].
End with a clear recommendation.
17. Project Kickoff Brief
Create a 1-page project brief for [project name].
Goal: [what success looks like].
Scope: [what's included and explicitly what's NOT included].
Timeline: [target dates].
Team: [who's involved and their roles].
Risks: [top 3 things that could go wrong].
18. Quarterly Review
Write a quarterly review based on these metrics and notes:
Metrics: [paste numbers].
Key wins: [list].
Key misses: [list].
Structure: What worked, what didn't, what we're changing next quarter.
Tone: honest, not defensive. Under 400 words.
19. Goal Setter
Help me set goals for [next quarter / next month / this project].
Context: [what we achieved last period, where we fell short].
Current priorities: [list].
Write 3-5 goals using this format: [Verb] [specific outcome]
by [date], measured by [metric]. Make them ambitious but achievable.
20. Process Documenter
Document this process based on my description:
[Describe the process in your own words, even if messy].
Format: numbered steps, each under 2 sentences. Include decision
points ("If X, do Y. If not, do Z."). Add a "Common mistakes"
section at the end with 2-3 pitfalls.
Making It Stick
The prompt library only works if people use it. Three tactics:
- Start small. Launch with 10 prompts, not 50. Add based on demand.
- Celebrate saves. When someone shares a great prompt in Slack, add it to the library publicly. Make contribution visible.
- Review monthly. Remove any prompt nobody used in 30 days. A smaller, sharper library beats an exhaustive one.
Your team is already using AI. Give them a system, and they will use it well.
Want the full AI productivity system? The Like One Academy has courses on prompt engineering, automation, and building AI workflows. Start free.